- Half of America’s 20 largest charities are affiliated with pharmaceutical companies.
- Big Pharma has come under increasing public scrutiny for charging $100,000s for new patented life-saving treatments.
- These charities offer insurance co-payment assistance and their annual spending has grown from $370 million (2001) to $7.4 billion.
- The average co-pay is 10% of the drug’s sticker price.
- Co-pay assistance makes consumers more price-insensitive since insurance covers the rest.
- In addition to public image damage control, Big Pharma contributions to these co-pay charities are tax deductible.
